Pure Dessert

by Alice Medrich

A refreshing change in every respect

When you are working with great ingredients, you want to keep it simple. You don’t want to blur flavor by overcomplicating. This is why Pure Dessert , from the beloved Alice Medrich, offers the simplest of recipes, using the fewest ingredients in the most interesting ways. There are no glazes, fillings, or frostings—just dessert at its purest, most elemental, and most flavorful.

Alice deftly takes us places we haven’t been, using, for example, whole grains, usually reserved for breads, to bring a lovely nutty quality to cookies and strawberry shortcake. Pound cake takes on a new identity with a touch of olive oil and sherry. Unexpected cheeses make divine soufflés. Chestnut flour and walnuts virtually transform meringue. Varietal honeys and raw sugars infuse ice creams and sherbets with delectable new flavor.

Inspired choices of ingredients are at the heart of this collection of entirely new sesame brittle ice cream, corn-flour tuiles with tangy sea salt and a warming bite of black pepper, honey caramels, strawberries with single-malt sabayon.

To witness Alice’s idea-stream as she describes how she arrived at each combination is to instantly understand why three of her books have won Best Cookbook of the Year. She’s an experimenter, tinkerer, and sleuth, fascinated with trial and error, with the effects of small changes in recipes, exploring combinations tirelessly and making remarkable discoveries. Does cold cream or hot cream do a better job coaxing out the flavor of mint leaves or rose petals? Why is it that dusting a warm brownie with spices gives it an enticing aromatic nose, whereas putting the spice in the batter blurs the chocolate flavor? Do cooked strawberries or raw make for the better sorbet?

Loaded with advice and novel suggestions, with great recipes and eye-catching, full-color photographs that show off these simple, straightforward desserts, Pure Dessert is an education and a revelation. Thank you, Alice!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference

262 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2007

Reviews

[Shree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book which completely shuns the world with tunnel vision of chocolate and embraces the simple nuances of vanilla, nutmeg and other spices. It is a book for people who want to experiment in the simplicity of desserts without the extravagance and crude objectification that it has inured.

[Isabelle✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly liked the intro more than the actual recipes. Didn't know she was going to focus on obscure ingredients.

[Kathleen Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, where to begin? I am one of those people who enjoys reading cookbooks even if I never actually make anything from them but this cookbook may actually send me to the kitchen. Such great ideas using fresh and unique ingredients. There is a section on just honey including a recipe for honey ice cream. There are also chapters on desserts with alcohol or fruits or herbs, spices, flowers and leaves. The recipe for pink grapefruit granita had me drooling, and there is a fruit and nut cake I cannot wait to try. Whether you read cookbooks for pleasure or to get new ideas or to actually make the recipes, this is not to be missed! Pink grapefruit granita--yum.

[Sonja Isaacson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being "Pure", which I would equate with simple, I don't think it is. Each recipe has a number of ingredients and of course they are to be high-end ingredients, definately not store brand anything, and it seems she ends up MIXING flavors instead of concentrating on, say, just cherry in a particular recipe. And while most of them are either desserts I wouldn't choose (what, Sonja not do a dessert?) the ones regarding ice cream and granitas I would take the time to look at again.

[Emily Simnitt]

I've had this book for awhile and made several recipes. I've liked them so much that I've decided to try them all, semi-methodically. What I like about the recipes: They are unique, the flavors are intense (it's not just about sugar and fat), the yields are reasonable (important in a two-person household).

[Rachael Lauritzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far we've only tried the caramelized, soft cheese filled crepes, but oh, they were divine. And just reading through the other recipes makes my mouth water! Delicious and generally simple (though planning ahead a day or 2 may be necessary), these all look wonderful.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing recipes that do really interesting things with flavors that I would not have thought to put together but now I am so happy that I have. I checked it out from the library and then bought a copy so I could always get at them.

[S]

641.86 MED

[Vanessa Opal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much my style: simple ingreadients made into clean, delicious desserts.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eating dessert while reading this... ha ha.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

really like the coffee almond shortbread cookies. strong coffee flavor but not bitter, with a super buttery, crumbly texture.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at ingredient focused recipes. I wish there were more pictures of the food, but it's still quite a nice cookbook.

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic book. I sometimes read this like a novel, starting from the beginning and marking pages of things I need to make - or make again. The almond cake is A CLASSIC. Made many times in this house, many more to follow. Could not be easier - could not be more delicious- make sure you follow the alternate version with sliced almonds making a crunchy crust. This recipe goes perfectly with: whipped cream, blueberry compote, any berry compote, mangos or peaches, or a glass of brandy...even, in a pinch, on its own. All of Alice Medrich's books are brilliant but this may be my favorite. Cannot recommend enough.

[Emily]

Several interesting recipes in this one. There are several with nuts that we can’t make because of nut allergies in our family, but they sounded good.

Pros: Clear ingredient lists and instructions. Has some specialty ingredients, but a lot which have easily available ingredients. Layout is mostly easy to read, although some are in large paragraphs and could be broken up a little more. Many recipes include variations.

Cons: Does not have pictures for each recipe.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive collection of delectable desserts. Have a great diversity of flours.

[Genevieve Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some really great recipes! I love the ingredient-focused lens and the sense that these are wholesome recipes.